Game apparatus



No. 606,744. Patented July 5, |898.

' T. M. ST. JOHN.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application led Mar. 24, 1897.)

(no Model.) 2 sheets-sh`ee1 1.

, gyw g MM @wh 44g 'ATTORND'S Rms Psrznsco. Puofauuo.. wAsmNnTou n c No. 606,744. Patentedluly 5, |898.

- T. M.v sT. 10H".

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Mar. 24, 1897.) (N0 Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

` I ama/Wim 'Y www 720i/201ML g/@ZL @fw/W my UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS M. ST. JOHN, OF YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,744, dated July 5, 1898.

Application filed March 24, 1897. Serial No. 629,068. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. ST. JOHN,

v a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

According to my invention I provide a game-board with receptacles for balls, rings, or other similar play-pieces of magnetic metal, such as steel or iron, and employ a magnetized rod or shifting device to move the balls or rings from one receptacle to others. Preferably a central receptacle is employed for holding all of the balls or all of the rings and a numberof outlying receptacles are adapted to receive the balls or rings individually.

The game may be played in a variety of Ways. For instance, two persons sitting on opposite sides of the board may each pick up the balls or rings one by one from the central receptacle with the magnetize'd rod and place them in or^upon the receptacles in front of him at his side of the board, the person first filling his series of receptacles winning the contest. Each contestant may by means of the magnetized rod or shifting device pick up the rings or balls from the central receptacle and place them in or upon the receptacles in front of his adversary, the person first iilling Lthe outlying receptacles in front of his adversary winning the contest, or Where four persons are playing those opposite each other may be partners and seek to transfer the balls or rings to the receptacles in front of their adversaries. Other ways of playing the game might be suggested.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View illustrating one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another form thereof. o

In Fig. l, A is the board, B is the central receptacle, and C the series of outlying receptacles arranged around the sides of the board. The play-pieces are shown in the form of balls D, and the drawings show them arranged in the central pocket or receptacle. F is the magnetized rod or shifting device, provided with a handle F about the size of 5o an ordinary pencil. Y v

In kFig:4 2,:,B represents vthe central receptacle, composed in this instance of a` number of pins arranged close together in a circle. C indicates the outlying receptacles or pins located around the central receptacle and close to the edges of the board. D' represents the play pieces or rings.

In each instance my game has a single large receptacle for the play-pieces and aplurality of smaller receptacles therefor. The playpieces are always of magnetic metal and the shifting device is always magnetized.

While I have shown two ways of carrying out my invention, I prefer to use balls and pockets, as illustrated in Fig.l 1. The large receptacle at the center of the board is adapted to hold all of the balls or play-pieces used. TheY individual pockets or receptacles are -shallow and approximately of the same diameter as the balls, so that each ball will completely fill a receptacle. By this arrangement some difficulty is encountered in placing the balls in the individual receptacles, as it is necessary to hold the shifting device steady and to manipulate it with care in order to seat the ball in its individual receptacle. The

ball tends to cling to the shifting device, and

facility in transferring the ball from the shifting device is obtained only by practice. Where rings are employed, and pegs, as indicated in Fig. 2, it is not so difficult to transfer the play-pieces from the shifting devices, as the rings may be placedover the pegs and the pegs will serve to hold the rings While the shifting device is being withdrawn'. At the same time care is necessarily employed, as the play-pieces often tend to drop away from the shifting device, and as the openings in the rings are approximately of the same size as the pegs care and dexterity is essential to success in playing the game.

I claiml. The herein-described' game apparatus, comprising a number of spheres or balls of magnetic material, a board havinga large receptacle for all the balls and a plurality of pockets,each of which is approximately of the same size as aball, and a magnetic shifting device for transferring the balls from onereceptacle to others. K ,y

2. The herein-described game VVapparatus, comprising'a number of play-pieces ofmagnetic material, a board having a large receptacle for all the play-pieces, and a plurality IOO 1o ally, each of which receptacles corresponds in size With one of the playpeces, and a magnetic shifting device for transferring,r the play-pieces from one receptacle to another.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto suhscribed my naine.

THOMAS M. S". JOHN.

XVitliesses:

FRANK S. ODER, EDWARD C. DAVIDSON. 

